Our Special Touch
by Alkuna
Summary: Third in the Whytetiger adoption and infinite wealth series. This one is sort of a bridge between A Gift for Honesty and Cybunny's Story regarding the adoption of Kissthebaby. I hope you enjoy!


Our Special Touch  
  
Disclaimer: You know the drill, I don't own neopets.com  
  
"Please adopt my Kougra. I can't take care of her anymore. I have to leave Neopia."  
  
A notice on the Chat boards caught my eye as I was poking around and my other two pets perked up with interest. Kiara1896, a rather aloof and touchy Shadow Kougra, put her paw on my arm. "Please mom, can we? You....you really helped me. Maybe someone else could use your special touch."  
  
I looked at her in surprise, but then nodded. We were financially stable and we could safely afford to take on a third pet now so I posted a reply. "What name should I look for?"  
  
The response was quick, "Oh thank you! Her name is Kissthebaby."  
  
I winced at the name, feeling a swell of pity for the pet in question, but since no one else was showing the slightest interest and since Kiara and now Stasheff, my desert kougra, were giving me the Baby Kougra eyes I assured the poster that I would have a look-see.  
  
We arrived at the pound a few minutes later and Dr Death nodded when I told him who I was looking for. He gave me a rare smile and led us all into the back rooms.  
  
Kiara looked around at the newly refurbished Adoption Center and, making sure her collar was in place, asked if she could explore a little bit. I told her not to get lost and not to take too long. She agreed and scampered off.  
  
Soon we arrived at a door marked with a number and Dr. Death rapped his knuckles on the door. An eyrie poked his head out, MYNCI music pouring out of the room behind him.  
  
"Is Kiss here?" Dr. Death asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Yup." He pulled back and called, "Oi! Kiss! Adoption time, girlie! Oh my Faeries why are you hanging from the...Get offa that!"  
  
The door swung wide to reveal a blue Kougra hanging by her feet from a pull up bar. She gave a spooky Von Roo laugh, which was ruined totally by the fact that she lost her grip by one paw and the other followed quickly to make her splat face first onto the floor.  
  
"And thus," sighed the Eyrie, "The might of the graceful Kougra is tainted by the existence of a complete goober who has no measurable amount of humility, grace or fluidity."  
  
The Kougra righted herself, brushed long bangs out of her eyes and smiled sheepishly at us, "Heya. I'm Kissthebaby. You wanted to talk?"  
  
"Not just talk," I smiled at her, "We're here to adopt, that is, if you are willing to come with us."  
  
"Hey you bet! Just lemme pack up ok?" She glanced at Dr. Death and then back at me, "Twenty minutes tops and I'll be at the front desk with you."  
  
Once we were back at the desk, Dr. Death put a call over the speakers so Kiara would know to come back.  
  
Soon enough Kiss joined our group, carrying only a small suitcase and wearing a bandana around her forehead to keep her bangs back.  
  
"I'm all set," she assured me, hefting her suitcase.  
  
After recovering from the surprise of how little her time in the Adoption Center had bothered her, I turned to toward the back door, where a snarling, fighting Kiara was being wrestled out of the back by a burly looking boy and his pumped up Lupe.  
  
"Put her down!" I shouted and raced for them. Kiara hated to be held and absolutely loathed being carried. She was going to bite the boy in a few seconds. "Let her go! She doesn't like to be touched!"  
  
"This is none of your business girl," the boy growled, "I'm adopting her."  
  
"You can't, she's mine. Can't you see her ownership tag?" I skidded to a stop in front of him, blocking the way to the Adoption desk.  
  
"She ain't got one," he grunted, seizing Kiara's ear and twisting it hard to force her to submit.  
  
"NO!" I shouted in alarm.  
  
Kiara screeched in pain and then turned on him, biting his arm with all her might and clawing him with all four feet.  
  
There was a lot of shouting. The lupe leaped for me and was struck down by Stasheff, where they fought savagely on the floor. The boy the flailing, trying to shove me away and strike Kiara at the same time. DrDeath was yelling for security on the phone and Kiss was just staring dumbstruck at the scene. Finally I got tired of it all, slammed the boy into the wall, and as firmly but gently as I could, pried Kiara off of the stunned punk.  
  
"You creep!" Kiara shouted in rage and frustration as I backed away, holding her tightly in my arms, "You took my collar off and said you were going to steal me while Whytetiger was looking for another pet! I swear if I ever see you again I'll-"  
  
"Hush," I told her softly in her ear and lightly resting my hand on top of her muzzle, "let it go sweetie. Come on, I got our adoptee. We're leaving."  
  
Stasheff backed to my side, stiff legged and glaring at the lupe. Both of them were badly roughed up and panting heavily.  
  
The teen spat rudely on the floor and dug into his pocket, pulling Kiara's collar out and throwing it at my feet. "Take the little brute," he snarled, and turned toward the adoption part of the center again, but stopped when faced with a glaring Dr. Death and two burly looking Skeith security guards.  
  
I put the money on the Uni's desk to pay for Kiss's adoption and filled out the forms. I didn't hear everything as I worked, but the words, "...banned from the Adoption Center..." came clear enough to us.  
  
Once outside, I gently set Kiara down and took her collar from Stasheff. I tsked at the broken clasp; it had obviously been forced off of Kiara's neck, and looked down at her.  
  
"Kiara," I said softly, "I know you don't like to be held but will you let me till I can get you a new collar? It's too risky otherwise."  
  
Kiara bristled for a moment, then nodded in resignation and I picked her up carefully, making sure not to make her feel trapped in my arms.  
  
"That was some cool fighting you two did," Kiss said to Stasheff as we walked back to Neopia Central and the Beauty parlor for a fancy pair of collars, "Do you guys battle?"  
  
Stasheff cleared his throat a little uncomfortably and began explaining to Kiss about how Kiara had joined us.  
  
"Wow," she said, looking over at Kiara, "That stinks. I'm sorry Kiara." Kiss looked up at her sympathetically.  
  
Kiara's ears flattened a little, "Bah, don't be. If I got mom here, I don't have any complaints. I just gotta watch out for punks."  
  
I smiled a little and stroked Kiara's back lightly as we slipped through the doors of the Beauty Parlor and walked to the Collar section. "Pick any one that you want, as long as it doesn't cost too much." I told Kiara and Kiss, and set Kiara down on the floor.  
  
Stasheff gave me a hopeful look and I laughed and nodded, letting him go replace his now rather Lupe chewed collar.  
  
Kissthebaby proved to be a real goof off as she tried parading around with a tiny Baby pet collar around her muzzle, then a massive Grarrl collar that could have been used as a hula hoop around her waist. She tried several ownership earrings until I warned her that it might get pulled out and hurt her ears.  
  
Finally she spotted one that she absolutely adored, although I had to blink several times to get over my surprise. It was a pure black collar with a Halloween Nimmo as the name tag, its wings flared to their fullest.  
  
"Are you sure?" I asked her.  
  
She nodded eagerly, "I've always thought Halloween Nimmos were spooky and cool. Maybe someday..." She drifted off, as though realizing what her hopes were pointing to, and it was expensive, "Maybe in the far future I can become one..."  
  
Kiara and I shared secret smiles.  
  
"I think you can sweetie." I assured her.  
  
"Whoa, hey thanks dude!" I heard Stasheff say cheerfully from the back of the store and trotted out, brandishing a new collar and a white paint brush, "Look what Jacko the painter just handed me," he called, "What do you say Kiss? This would be a great start for repaying your decision to be a Halloween Nimmo."  
  
"Um, repaying...?" Kiss looked up at me with confusion in her eyes.  
  
In a low voice, so as not to be overheard by beggars, I explained to Kiss how we had gotten the gift of infinite Neopoints and how we repaid it by giving away to the poor.  
  
Kiss's eyes lit up in amazement as she listened, then she smiled warmly and accepted the paint brush from Stasheff, "Sounds great! Thanks Stasheff."  
  
"No problem lil sister." Stasheff winked to her and jogged up to the counter to pay for his collar.  
  
"Sister huh? I like the sound of that." Kissthebaby smiled and joined her new family to pay for her collar, her thoughts of flying on the warm winds already stirring through her Kougra mind.  
  
A month later, a silent figure walked through the shadows of late evening, her powerful Korbat-like wings resting on her back like a flowing cloak. Kissthebaby smiled and closed her eyes, lifting her face to the refreshing breeze that flowed through the alleys of Neopia Central.  
  
With a whisper of her wings, Kiss leaped into the night air and soared through the night skies, peering below her with slitted yellow eyes. Although her appearance was rather frightening now, Kiss's humorous and good natured heart still beat strongly inside her.  
  
"Leave us alone!"  
  
Startled, Kiss pulled to a stop in the air and peered below her for the source of the cry.  
  
"Please! We haven't done anything to you!"  
  
Kiss's eyes snapped toward the voice and gasped, feeling her heart pound. The Swamp Ghoul was closing in on two homeless pets, a red Usul and a yellow Acara, its cold, dead hands reaching out to pull a rather worse-for- wear plushie from the arms of the Acara.  
  
"Oh no you don't," Kiss whispered, and dropped into a dive.  
  
The Swamp ghoul hesitated at Kiss's winged shadow fell over it, and then it darted back with a hiss of fury as Kiss landed between it and the pets. "I don't think so pal," Kiss said icily, rising to her full Nimmo height.  
  
"You have no business here, spoiled PET," it hissed, making the word 'pet' sound like 'dung.'  
  
"I think I do. Back off creepo," she took a step toward the ghoul and it retreated a step, as though unwilling to let Kiss touch it.  
  
"You can't harm me, foolish pet." The swamp ghoul hissed, its cold breath wafting over Kiss.  
  
"Wanna bet? My family loves me, which is something you can't face. C'mon then if you're so tough, attack me." Kiss flared her wings, making herself seem even larger that she really was.  
  
"......Grrrr. I'll deal with you later Nimmo," it finally hissed and spun around, zipping off through the trees.  
  
Kiss smirked after it, "Guess it's more bark than bite..." She turned back to the cowering pets and folded her wings so that she wouldn't look so threatening, "Hey, are you guys all right?"  
  
The little Acara merely sniffled and buried his head against his older sister's side. The Usul, a little older than he was, hugged him protectively, "He took our dinner! It was sniffle the only meal we've had in three days! hiccup Now what are we going to do?!" A tear rolled down her cheek.  
  
"Awww c'mon now," Kiss soothed, "Don't cry. I'll bet we can... hey I know! Come with me!" Kiss took the Usul's paw and led the pair through the streets.  
  
Soon enough, they reached the gates of Whytetiger's mansion and Kiss opened it for them.  
  
The Usul gasped, "B-but that's the home of a rich Neopian! W-we can't go in there!"  
  
Kiss chuckled softly, "It's an open invitation little one. My owner won't mind."  
  
It took a moment for the reality to sink in that their rescuer was... well they thought she would have been like... the usual snotty, stuck up rich owner's pet.  
  
Hesitantly they followed Kiss around the back and into the kitchens of the massive mansion, "Hey Chef? You think you got enough leftovers for two waifs?"  
  
The chef, a very solid and jolly Skeith, took one look at them and grunted, "I doubt they could even put a dent in it." He grinned widely and began pulling out the remnants of the family's dinner and waved them through the door leading back to the house, "Get them washed and dressed up first. You know the Chamberlain will have a fit if her precious furniture gets soiled. Meanwhile I'll see what I can scrounge up."  
  
Kiss giggled and whispered, "His idea of merely 'scrounging' something is somewhat compared to a four course meal. If he goes all out, you could feed King Skarl's entire castle with leftovers for several blocks of Neopia Central's populace."  
  
She led the dazed pets to the expansive bathrooms and soon had them bathed and dressed in warm, comfortable clothes.  
  
The Usul gasped and the Acara gave an excited squeal as they came back to find half the dining room table piled high with foods from every land, piping hot and ready to be devoured.  
  
"Don't hold back on my account," Kiss teased lightly as she helped them into chairs and stepped back next to the Skeith Chef. The pets didn't need a second invitation and dug in eagerly, nearly wiping every plate clean.  
  
A gentle hand came to rest on Kiss's shoulder and she twitched, looking up at her owner, "I hope you don't mind," she whispered hastily, "A bully ate their only dinner and I knew that-"Kiss was stopped by a finger that lightly rested over her mouth.  
  
"Shhh. You don't have to explain your reasons to me sweetie," Whytetiger smiled warmly, "It was an act of generosity, which is what we're supposed to be all about. I'll prep a guest room for them. I'm sure they could use a warm, dry place to sleep. The Weather Lenny said it was going to be pouring tonight." Whytetiger walked out as quietly as she had entered.  
  
It wasn't long before the little Acara was rubbing his eyes with a tiny paw and yawning wide enough to make his eyes disappear. His older sister tried to stifle her yawns as well and gently gathered up her brother.  
  
"I want to thank you for your kindness, Miss Kissthebaby, and you too Mister Chef," she said looking each one in the eye, "It means a lot to both of us."  
  
The Chef grunted, cleared his throat and grumbled something gruffly about putting food to proper use before bustling back to the kitchen for a cart to clear away the dishes.  
  
"You're welcome," Kiss said with a smile, "But you guys look exhausted. We've got a bedroom ready for you to use tonight, and if you like, we can help you find a kind owner."  
  
"You don't have to do this," the Usul objected weakly as Kiss gently guided the siblings out of the kitchen and up the stairs to the second floor. The Acara had already fallen fast asleep on his sister's shoulder.  
  
"Yeah, don't have to, but want to anyway," Kiss replied cheerfully, guiding them to a lavish bedroom done up in royal furniture.  
  
Once they were settled, Kiss quietly closed the door and crept down the hall to her own bedroom, sharing a smile with her two Kougra siblings and owner before closing the door to her own room behind her.  
  
There was a moment of silence in the guest room, then there was a flickering of lavender light and a whiff of lavender scented faerie perfume.  
  
The Usul sat up abruptly in bed and the Acara jarred awake, whimpering slightly.  
  
"I take it you have learned your lesson now?" Fyora said sternly and without preamble.  
  
"Y-yes m'lady," the Usul said meekly, trying to calm her little brother.  
  
"You had better hope so," Fyora said flatly, "Because if I catch you being snobbish toward poor pets again, you'll be one of them. And I guarantee that they will not welcome you after your behavior yesterday. Report, and tomorrow you may go back to your owner."  
  
Slowly, the Usul relayed all she and her brother had been through up to the point of Fyora's appearance.  
  
"Hmm. Looks like you were lucky tonight," to herself, Fyroa murmured, "Good. The Whitetiger family is keeping up their generosity. So you will follow their example then?" Fyora asked, raising her voice to normal levels.  
  
At the silent nods from both pets, Fyora's expression softened somewhat and she gestured, sending a spray of purple sparkles over the two Neopets. When the sparkles had faded, the ordinary pets were glowing. Slowly the Usul became fire and the Acara became Faerie; returning to the very image of pampered, painted pets of a rich owner.  
  
"I've restored you to your paint jobs. Remember that it was my blessing that made you what you are, and I can take it away... all of it... if you don't obey the rules of Generosity." With a final stern look, the Faerie Queen vanished in a huff of purple sparkles.  
  
Kiss was just drifting off to sleep when the scent of lavender came to her nose. Remembering what Stasheff had told her about the Faerie Queen, Kiss sat up immediately.  
  
She was halfway out of bed to bow when Fyora laughed warmly and waved her hand negligently, "No, dear Kiss. Back to bed, back to bed. I was just coming in to tell you that I'm very proud of your kindness today."  
  
"I-I know I still owe Neopoints your Majesty. But I just thought that... well... never mind."  
  
"Go on," Fyora prompted, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.  
  
"Um, well, I sort of though that the Gift of Generosity might not be restricted to just giving out Neopoints. I mean, I thought that giving away a free meal and a warm place to sleep would count too. But if it doesn't..."  
  
"No Kiss, you were right," Kiss looked up in slight surprise at Fyora's gentle tone, "Generosity just handfuls of Neopoints; it's the act of giving itself. And very clever of you to guess that, by the way. If you think it would be a bit easier to repay your debts by hosting free dinners and lodging, by all means do so." The Faerie Queen smiled as Kiss yawned slightly, "Now get some rest, and keep up the good work."  
  
Fyora vanished and Kiss sighed happily, settling down to sleep. She would tell her family the good news tomorrow. But for now, she would dream of flying upon the winds... and reveling in the joy that came from Fyora's gift. 


End file.
